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<h1>Orbiter Challenges: 1</h1>
<p><b>The task: Fly the Delta-glider to the International Space Station on as little fuel as possible.</b>
<p>Your mission is to launch your glider from SLF runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center, reach orbit, rendezvous and finally dock with the International Space Station (ISS). The objective of this challange is to do all that while spending as little rocket fuel as possible on the way.
<p>A suitable launch window is already approaching. In the Map MFD on the instrument display in the lower right of the screen you see that the orbital plane of the ISS (the yellow line) is just about to pass over your launch position (the white cross). This will allow you to enter an orbit with low relative inclination without the need of extensive plane changes later on (essential for fuel economy).
<p><img src="launch.jpg" width=400>
<p>Launch the glider, using a steep ascent slope to escape the denser part of the atmosphere (and its drag forces), and as soon as possible turn towards a north-easterly direction that turns your orbital plane into one similar to the ISS.
<p>Later on, decrease your pitch angle to balance the increase in altitude and horizontal velocity. Aim to reach orbital velocity (about 7800 m/s) around an altitude of 200 km.
<p>Then use the plane alignment and orbit synchronisation instruments to catch up with the ISS (the instrumentation is described in the Manual).
<p>Finally, use the Docking MFD to align and connect with a docking port on the ISS.
<p>If it doesn't work first time, keep trying and you will soon be able to beat your own highscores (and mine!)

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